Curling iron



Jan. 5, 1965 A. REcKNAGl-:L

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LEGAL REPREsE/vrAv/VE WS m United States Patent Ofi 3,164,159 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 3,164,159 CURLING IRON Alfred Recknagel, deceased, late of Solingen, Germany,

by Ingehurg Recimagel, legal representative, Rathausstrasse 12, Solingen, Germany Fiied Oct. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 849,424 Claims. (fl. 132-32) This invention relates to curling irons for hair.

It is an object of this invention to provide a construction of handles which will facilitate the handling of a curling iron when hot.

It is another object of this -invention to provide for a heat insulating covering for the rotatable handles of a curling iron to protect the hand of an operator from the heat of the operative part of the curling iron.

With these objects in view the present invention relates to a curling iron comprising a handle, sleeve means rotatably mounted on the handle, and heat insulating cover means fixed to that sleeve means for rotation therewith. In this way the handle can be rotated by hand while the cover means heat insulates the hand of an operator from the handle and from the sleeve means.

According to another aspect of the present invention a curling iron comprises two handle portions each having an end part, pivot means connecting said handle portions at a point spaced from the end parts for turning the handles about the pivot means and sleeve means rotatably mounted on each of the handle portions provided with heat insulating cover means fixed to each of said sleeve means for rotation therewith. A curling iron constructed in this Way can be rotated by hand while holding that cover means, which are adapted to heat insulate the hands of the operator from the handle portion and the sleeve means.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, to gether with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front view of a curling iron according to this invention in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a modified curling iron in its closed position with one handle shown in part-sectional view and another handle shown with some parts removed;

FIG. 3 is a side view of curling iron illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of a part of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of part of a handle shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a modified embodiment of the part shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a section of the lines VII-VII.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 3, a curling iron comprises curling iron portions of conventional shape, namely a tapering bar 2, pivoted around pin 5 so that it can be received and partly surrounded by a trough shaped portion 1 of the curling iron. Portions 1 and 2 are fiattened adjacent their pivot point as shown at 3 and 4, so that the two portions can be pivoted by operation of handles 8 and 9.

Discs 6 and 7 are mounted on spindle 5, one on each side of part 4, to facilitate centralized turning movements of portion 2 on spindle 5 in relation to trough portion 1. Handles 8 and 9 have a cranked portion 60 near the flattened portions 3 and 4 surrounded by a heat insulating cover portion 1l) and 11, respectively. Narrower part shown in FIG. 6 along handle parts 8 and 9 extend from the pivot 5. Handle portions 8 and 9 are surrounded by a rotating sleeve 14 and 15, respectively. Sleeves 14 and 15 are preferably' made of metal to increase their durability and ease of rotation. Ring means 12 and 13, rotatably mounted on handle portions 8 and 9, respectively, are placed between the cover portions 10 and 11, and the rotatable sleeve means 14 and 15. Sleeve means 14 and 15 are surrounded by the heat insulating cover means 16 and 17, respectively, fixed to so that the sleeve means and the cover means rotate together on the respective handle portions 8 and 9.

Securing means are provided at the end of the handle portions 8 and 9 for preventing the sleeve means and the cover means form sliding off the handle portions. The securing means may comprise a simple spreading of the end part of the handle portion or may comprise a plate 1S held on the end part of the handle portion by set-screw 19, as shown in FIG. 5.

A modification of the securing means is shown in FIG. 6. Cap 21 is pressed on the end 20 of the handle portion 8. Instead of pressing the cap onto the end of the handle portion, cap 21 may also be welded or otherwise secured thereto. In each case cap 21 will prevent the respective sleeve 14, 15 and the cover means 16, 17 secured thereto from sliding off the handle portion 8, 9.

The outer ends of the cover means may, if so desired, be protected against breakage by connecting them with cupped end portions or caps 22, 23 which may consist of a metal such as brass. These end portions 22, 23 may be either welded to the heat insulating cover means 16, 17 or to the sleeves 14, 15 whichever is most convenient. Sleeves 14 and 15 and the rings 12 and 13 are made of metal in order to increase their working life. It has been found that sleeves and rings made of metal have considerably longer life and are not abraded due to their continuous rotation on the handle portions 8 and 9. In order to increase the aesthetic appeal of the curling iron parts 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 22 and 23 may be made in different and contrasting colors. Parts 10, 11, 16 and 17 may be made of synthetic material. The heat resisting cover means are fixed tothe metallic sleeve in a conventional manner as for example by welding.

Another way of securing the end portions 22, 23 of the cover means 16, 17 to the sleeves 14, 15 is to provide the outer end portions 24 of the sleeves with slots 25 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 so that the end portions 24 are made resilient due to the presence of such slots. When the end portions 22, 23 of the cover means are fitted onto the slotted end portions 24, the sleeves are resiliently deformed and are thus secured to the respective cover means.

From the above description it can be gathered that a curling iron according to the present invention overcomes a number of disadvantages of the prior art.

By having the end part of the handle portion rotatably arranged together With the sleeve the operation of the curling iron is made easier. The prior art of a fixed end part for each handle was an impediment to quick rotation of the curling iron in the hand of the operator. The ends are also heat insulated as one aspect of the invention.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a heat insulating cover fixed to a rotatable sleeve, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of this invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully .9 reveal the gist of the invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or speciiic aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

l What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a curling iron, in combination, a pair of metallic handles each having -a rst and a second end; pivot meansA for connecting the first ends of said handles; a metallic -sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said handles; meansV provided at the second end of each handle for holding the respective sleeve against movement in a direction away from said pivot means; and heat insulating cover means surrounding and connected for rotation with each of said sleeves, each said cover means comprising a cupped end portion fully enclosing the seeond end of the respective handle whereby the handles are heat insulated from the hand of an operator, said cupped end portions being rigid lwith and thus sharing rotary movements of the respective cover means.

2. In a curling iron, in combination, a pair of metallic handles of cylindrical contour each having a first end and a second end; pivot means for connecting the first ends of said handles; a metallic sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said handles, each sleeve having an end face adjacent to the secondl end' of the respective handle; means provided at the second end of each handle for holding the respective sleeve against movement in adirection away from said pivot means, said holding means comprising a plate like member secured to the second'end of each handle and abutting against the end face of the respective sleeve; and heat insulating cover means surrounding andV connected for rotation with each of said sleeves, each of said cover means comprising a cupped end'portion fully enclosing the second end of the respective handle whereby the handles are heat insulatedA from the hand of an operator, said cupped end portionsbeing rigid with and thus sharing rotary movements of the respective cover means.

' 3. In a curling iron, in combination, a pair of elongatedv metallic handles of cylindrical contour each having vairstfendand a second end; pivot means for connecting the first` ends of said handles; a metallic sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said handles, each sleeve having an end face adjacent to the second end of the respective handle; means provided at the second end of each handle for holding the respective sleeve against movement in a direction away from said pivot means, said holding means comprising a cap litted onto the second-end of each handle and abutting against the end face of therespective sleeve; and heat insulating cover means surrounding and connected for rotation with each of said sleeves, each said cover means comprising a cupped end portion fully enclosing `the respective cap whereby the handles are heat insulated from the hand of an operator, said cupped end portions being rigid with and thus sharing rotary movements of 'the respective cover means.

4. In a curling iron, in combination, a pair of elongated metallic handles o cylindrical contour each having a first end, a second end, and a cranked portion adjacent to said first end; pivot means for connecting the first ends of said handles; a tubular heat insulating cover portion surrounding each of said crank-ed portions; a metallic sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said handles, each sleeve having a tirst end adjacent to the respective cover portion and a second end adjacent to the second end of the respective handle; means provided at the second end of each handle for holding the respective sleeve against axial movement in a direction away from said pivot means; heat insulating cover means surrounding and connected for rotation with each of said sleeves, each said cover means comprising a cupped end portion fully enclosing the second end of the respective handle whereby the handles are heat insulated from the hand of the operator, said cupped end portions being rigid with and thus sharing rotary movements of the respective cover means; and a metallic ring rotatably mounted on each handle between the respective cover portions and the first ends of the respective sleeves.

5. In a curling iron, in combination, a pair of elongated metallic handles of cylindrical contour each having a rst end and a second end; pivot means connecting the first ends of said handles; a metallic sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said handles, each sleeve having an end face adjacent to the second end of the respective handle and a resiliently deformable slotted portion; holding means provided at the second ends of said handles for holding the respective sleeves against movement in a direction away from said pivot means, said holding means comprising caps tted onto the second ends of said handles and abutting against the end faces of the respective sleeves; and heat insulating tubular cover means surrounding said sleeves, each of said cover means comprising a cupped end portion fully enclosing the respective cap whereby the handles are heat insulated from the hand of an operator, said cover means being fitted onto and compressing the slotted portions of the respective sleeves and said cupped end portions being rigid with the respective cover means so that any rotation of said cover means and of said cupped end portions by the lingers of an operator is automatically transmitted to the respective sleeves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,386,134 8/21 Seyl 132-32 X 1,622,834 3/'27 Marcel 132-37 1,691,895 11/28 Martin 132-32 2,550,295 4/51 Price 132-37 2,604,892 7/52 Keene 132-32 FOREIGN PATENTS 245,146 4/11 Germany.

RCHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, LAVE-RNE D. GEIGER,

Examiners. 

1. IN A CURLING IRON, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF METALLIC HANDLES EACH HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND END; PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING THE FIRST ENDS OF SAID HANDLES; A METALLIC SLEEVE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID HANDLES; MEANS PROVIDED AT THE SECOND END OF EACH HANDLE FOR HOLDING THE RESPECTIVE SLEEVE AGAINST MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID PIVOT MEANS; AND HEAT INSULATING COVER MEANS SURROUNDING AND CONNECTED FOR ROTATION WITH EACH OF SAID SLEEVES, EACH SAID COVER MEANS COMPRISING A CUPPED END PORTION FULLY ENCLOSING THE SECOND END OF THE RESPECTIVE HANDLE WHEREBY THE HANDLES ARE HEAT INSULATED FROM THE HAND OF AN OPERATOR, SAID CUPPED END PORTIONS BEING RIGID WITH AND THUS SHARING ROTARY MOVEMENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE COVER MEANS. 